Mystic Treatises (Ascetical Homilies)

The fear of God is the foundation of excellence ; for excellence is said to be the offspring of faith. It is sown in a man's heart, when he allows his mind to confine the wandering impulses to continual meditation on the order of things to come, away from the distractions of the world. As to the foundation of 2 excellence, the first among its peculiar elements is the concentration of the self, by freeing it from practical things, upon the enlightened word of the straight and holy ways, the word that by the inspired Psalmist is called the teacher. There is scarcely to be found a man who is able to bear honours, or possibly such an one exists not ; because man is very prone to err, even if he be an angel in his way. The foundation of the way of life consists in accustoming the mind to the words of God and the practice of patience. For the draught provided by the former is helpful towards acquiring perfection in the latter; and, further, increased development towards accomplishment in the latter, will cause a heightened desire of the former. And the help provided by both of them will quickly bring about the rise of the whole building.

No one is able to come near to God save only he who is far from the world. For I do not call separation the departure from the body, but from the bodily things. Excellence consists therein that a man in his mind be a void as regards the world. As long as the senses are occupied with [outward] things, it is not possible for the heart to rest from I) Title taken from the end of VI on p. 99. All reference applies to the pages of Bedjan's text. Verh. AW. I.etterk. 192= jWenslnck... imagining them. Nor do the affections cease, nor evil thoughts end except in the desert and the wilderness. While the soul has not yet become drunk by the faith in God, in that it has received an impression of its powers, the weakness of the senses cannot be healed and it is not able to tread down with force visible matter which is a screen before what is within and not perceived [by the senses]. 3 Reason is the cause of freedom and the fruit of both liability to err. Without the first, the second cannot be. And where the second fails, there is the third bound as it were with halters.

When grace is abundant in man, then the fear of death is despised on account of the love of righteousness. He finds many arguments in his soul [proving} that it is becoming to bear troubles for the sake of the fear of God. And those things which are supposed to injure the body, and to repel nature injustly, which consequently are of a nature to cause suffering, are reckoned in his eye as nothing in comparison with what is expected to be. And his mind convinces him firmly of the fact that it is not possible to recognize truth without gaining experience of the affections, and that God bestows great care upon man, and that he is not abandoned to chance. Especially those who are trained in praying unto Him and who bear suffering for His sake, see [these truths] clearly [as if painted] in colours. But when little faith takes root in our heart, then all these things are felt as contrary, not as serving for testing us. And that we are not always successful in trusting in God, and that God does not care for thee as it is supposed, is often insinuated by those who lay ambushes and shoot their arrows in the darkness. The foundation of man's true life, is the fear of God.

And this does not consent to dwell in the soul as long as there 4 exists the distraction of [outward] things. For the heart, by the service of the senses, is turned away from the delight in God. The inward impulses are bound up in their sensible faculty with the senses administering to them. The doubt of the heart introduces fear into the soul. But faith is able to make manly the mind, even under the cutting off of the limbs. As long as the love of the body is strong in thee, thou art not able to be courageous and without fear i) Tliis term lias lv.-aily always Uie meaning of free will. Cf. Introduction. because of the many adversaries that are constantly present in the neighbourhood of him who is loved. If any one is fond of honour, he cannot be without causes of distress. There is no man, whose mind suffers not likewise a change with things, in whatever respect it may be. If there is a second apperception of the senses, which generates and gives birth to desire, as Euagrius says, then those who dwell in doubt must keep silence, promising to preserve their mind in peace.

Not that one is chaste from whom evil impulses that intended to combat him, are withheld, but he whose uprightness of heart renders chaste the gaze of his mind, so that he does not audaciously enter upon lascivious thoughts ; and the saintliness of his heart is testified by the gaze of his pupils, which are guarded faithfully, so that bashfulness screens, like a curtain, the hidden place of his thoughts. So that his purity x ), like that of a chaste virgin, is faithfully guarded for Christ. There is nothing so apt to banish lascivious customs from the soul, and to restrain inciting memories which quicken the wild flames in the body, as burning for the love of teachings, and prosecuting investigations concerning the meaning of the 5 words of the scriptures. When the impulses are immersed in delight, after [having tasted] the wisdom contained in the [divine] words, by means of the faculty that absorbs information from them, then every man will leave the body behind him. Forgetting the world and all that is in it, he will also banish from his soul all recollections on which are based the images of the material world.

And often the soul in its thoughts during ecstasy will desist from the use of the wonted deliberations — natural practice — by reason of the novel [experiences] which reach it from the sea of their mysteries. Even when the mind is floating on its upper waters, without being able to make its impulses deep as the depth of the waters (so that it can see all the treasures in its abysses) — still meditation, by its [power of] love, will have sufficient force to bind the thoughts firmly together with thoughts of ecstasy so that they are checked from thinking of and running after I) Reading cn^CUA.! in stead of CO&CUA.1 the nature of the body. As one of those, who are clad with God says: "Because the heart is weak, it is not able to bear the evil influences that reach it from without, nor the struggle within. For you know, that the evil thoughts of the body are strong. And if the heart is not accustomed to teachings, it is not possible to bear the troubled thoughts of the body. As the heaviness of the weight [impedes] the quick swaying too and frojri of the tongue of the balance in the wild winds, so bashfulness and fear [impede] the aberration of the mind.

And that which is an indication of deficiency in the former, is also a [sign] of the dominion of freedom ') in the latter. 6 Just as in that case any additional decrease is the cause of the scales swaying too and froo with greater ease, having no solid foundation, so in this case, by the abolition of fear from the soul on account of freedom, the balance o[ the mind is able to turn aside quickly. So the faculty of emotion comes in the consequence of freedom; and inconstancy of the mind is the consequence of the faculty of aberration. Be wise enough to la) - a foundation for thy course in the way of God ; in a few days it will bring thee before the gate of the Kingdom, without windings in the way. Do not in the way of those who are educated by teachers look at the words which in the way of test, are intended to elevate thy behaviour, in order that thy soul may be elevated by the height of sight that is in them.

Distinguish the purport of the word in all the stories thou findest in the scriptures ; so thou wilt be able to make thy soul deep so that it may dwell with the great wisdom that is in the waitings of enlightened men. Those who, by grace, are directed in their behaviour towards illumination, perceive constantly as it were an intelligible ray running between the words [of the scriptures]. This ray distinguishes for the mind the simple speech from those things that are said in spiritual loftiness in order to expand the soul. He who simply reads lofty words, his heart will also remain simple and devoid of the holy power, that imparts to the heart a sweet taste by the meanings that stupefy the soul. 7 All things are accustomed to move towards that which is directs itself towards it on the straight way, which is the nearest - '. And the inscription of chapter XVII: On the short paths to God. akin [to them]. And the soul that possesses something of the spirit, on hearing anything wherein a spiritual force is hidden, fervently embraces that which it hears; and yet a tale that is told spiritually and wherein a great force is hidden, is not able to arouse every one unto admiration.

A word concerning excellence requires a heart free from the earth and earthly occupations. If a man's mind is beset with care for transitory things, tales concerning excellence will not incite his thought to the desiring of its possession. Solution from matter precedes the bonds in God l ). And though, as if by Providence of Grace, in some people the latter precede the former, so that love covers love, in the usual order of Providence the common sequence is otherwise. So thou hast to keep the common order. If Grace in thee comes first, it is for its own sake. If it does not, then, along the way that every man goes by tradition, ascend the spiritual tower. Everything which is mentally performed and the commandment of which is fulfilled thus also, is entirely invisible to the eyes of the flesh; whereas every thing which is performed in practice, is wholly of a composite nature. For it is only one commandment that necessitates these two, viz. theory and per- ' formance. Because corporeity and non-corporeity and the adap5 tation of the two belong to all.

Therefore the enlightened intellect — as has been ordered formerly by the blessed Moses — understands in a twofold way the commandment [lying at the bottom of theory and practice] : the simple as well as the complex is understood. Works performed carefully by the pure, do not remove the impression of the recollection of previous reprehensible things ; but they abolish in the mind the painful nature of recollection, so that what has passed through the mind often enough, now becomes something excellent. The longing of the soul for the acquiring of excellence vanquishes the desire of its partner for visible things. xWtWf t3 Seti ixotovfto-xi /j.s?.Aovrx (Antonius et Maximus, p. 2. And Philo I 380 39 : ie^x l*h ei( XfOrepov i&lyyiro x Tttft^xt xl rot h^roO p/o-j xevxi TTOvSxi , *mrx t.urx; . . ■ Tpo« Tifv tcv ZytvJTCv vzyxxXr; xxt xoiot/iov Six* hireix^-'*'. — Plotinus, Enncalcs IV, S, § I points to the Platonic origin of the comparison, and uses it himself § 4_, sp-aking of the soul : iirirTfgQelrx J) t/>o ? »«)«> huerixi re ix tSv Ssr/iav, xxl xvxpxfseiv .... All things have their mean. Lacking that, even those things the use of which is apt to help, may turn aside and become harmful without meeting any obstacle.

If thou wishest to have mental communion with God, by acquiring the impression of that delight that is not subject to the senses, then cling to mercy. For the holy beauty is formed by that element within thee, which resembles mercy l ). And all the practices of mercy bring the soul, immediately, into communion with the unique splendour of the divine glory' 2 ). Spiritual unification is a perpetual recollection, that is vivid in the heart without variation, with burning love. By constancy 9 in clinging to the commandments, it acquires the force to remain in union ; and there is found, in a way neither secondary nor natural, matter for spiritual vision, in which the soul may confide absolutely. So a man is drawn towards ecstasy by the closing of the two classes of senses : those of the flesh and those o( the soul. There is no other way towards spiritual love which is modeller of invisible images, than to begin in the first place with mercy in accordance with the word of our Lord who commands it to those who obey him, in connection with the perfection of the Father, the foundation. Very different is the word of practice from words of beauty.

Even without experience wisdom knows how to adorn its words and to speak the truth even without having any acquaintance with it, and to express itself concerning excellence without any experience of [practical] performance. A word proceeding from practice, is a treasure to confide in. But idle wisdom is a pawn causing shame ; it is as when an artist paints water on walls, without being able to quench his thirst by it •, or as a man who dreams beautiful dreams. He who from practical experience speaks about excellence, brings the word to his hearers as it were from the capital won by his own commerce; and, as from the stock of his soul, sows his teachings in the ears of his audience. He opens his mouth freely before his spiritual sons, in the manner of old Jacob before chaste Joseph, [saying] : I have given thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. 10 So every man whose behaviour is stained, will love temporal life ; so will also he who falls short of knowledge. Some one has well said: The fear of death distresses a fleshly man. But he who has a good witness in himself, will desire it as life.

Do not reckon as a truly wise man that one whose mind is subject to fear on account of temporal life. All good and evil things which befall the body have all of them, to be reckoned by thee as dreams, which thou canst escape from not only by death, but which often leave thee even before death and disappear. If thy soul is bound to some of them, then estimate them as thy possession for ever, accompanying" thee also in the world to be. If they are beautiful, then rejoice and thank God in thy mind. If they are evil, then be sorry and sigh and seek to be delivered from them while being in the body. If any good is done to thee, open or concealed, then be sure that thy mediators concerning it have been baptism and faith, by which thou wert called in Jesus Christ unto good works ; to whom and to the Father and to the Holy Ghost belong praise, honour and adoration, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen.

ii Gratefulness on the part of the recipient spurs on the giver to bestow gifts larger than before. He who embezzles petty things is also false and fraudulent concerning things of importance. The sick one who is acquainted with his sickness is easily to be cured ; and he who confesses his pain is near to health. Many are the pains of the hard heart ; and when the sick one resists the physician, his torments will be augmented. There is no sin which cannot be pardoned except that one which lacks repentance , and there is no gift which is not augmented save that which remains without acknowledgement. For the portion of the fool is small in his eyes. Think constantly of those who are superior to thee in excellence, so thou mayest see thyself at all times as being less than they are. And be aware at all times of the heavy troubles of those whose vexations are difficult and serious, so that thou mayest become grateful for the small ones found with thyself and thou mayest be able to bear them with joy.

When thou art in a state of subjection and languid and dejected, and thou art hound and fettered before thy (oc in mournful wretchedness and laborious service of sin, then recall to thy mind the previous times of firmness : how thou shewest painstaking even concerning small things and how thou wert moved with zeal against the obstructors in thy course : how 12 thou utteredst sighs on account of the small things which were despised by thee as accidental and thy whole person was winding a wreath of victory over these things. Then, by these and similar recollections, thy soul will be aroused as from the depth, and be clad with the flame of zeal ; and it will rise from its immersion as if from the dead, and stretch itself and return to its former state, in hot strife against Satan and sin. Recollect the fall of the strong, that thou mayest remain humble under thy virtues. And think of the heavy sins of those who fell and repented ; and of the praise and honour they received afterwards, so that thou mayest acquire courage during thy repentance. Be a persecutor of thy self; then thy foe will be driven away from thee.

He on peaceful terms with thy soul ; then heaven and earth will be on peaceful terms with thee Be zealous to enter the treasury within thee ; then thou wilt see that which is in heaven. For the former and the latter are one, and entering thou wilt see both. The ladder unto the Kingdom is hidden within thee and within thy soul. Dive into thyself [freed] from sin ; there thou wilt find steps along which thou canst ascend. What the things of the world-to-be are, the scriptures do not explain. Mow we may acquire the faculty to perceive their delight even now, without change of nature or local transition, they teach us plainly. Though they call these things by beloved names of glorious things which are delightful and esteemed by us, in order to spur us on, still by saying that the eye has not seen, nor i 3 the ear heard ') and so on, they show us that the things-to-be are not equal to any of the present things, by their being incomprehensible.

They have to be reckoned by us as giving us even now spiritual delight, not the enjoyment of those things in themselves, such as are found outside the being of the i) I Cor. 2, 9. receivers and promised us for the future state. Otherwise "The Kingdom of God is within you" ') and "Thy Kingdom come" 2 ) would teach us that we possess within us a pledge of the delight which is in those things. For it is necessary that there be a resemblance between these and the pledge, partial for the present though it be, yet to be complete in the future. Again the word "as through a glass' -3 ) shows us the comparability anyhow, even if they are not one in essence.

If now, according to the trustworthy testimonies of the commentators of the scriptures, this is due to an intelligible influence of the Holy Ghost, and is a part of that total one, then — apart from the spiritual influence that by intelligible apprehension forms a communication between the Holy Ghost and those who are influenced — the delight of the saints in the world is not occasioned by any sensible mediator, be it senses or sense-organs, save only the wombs which contain all in defined order, which we may call the profusion of light, though not the intelligible profusion. A friend of excellence is not he, who zealously practices beautiful things, but who gladly accepts the evil things adhering to him. Patiently to bear troubles for the sake of excellence, is not so great as this that through the determination of the good will, the mind be not confused by the allurements of exciting things. For repentance which conies after the taking away of freedom, 14 never can be a source of joy nor can it be reckoned as a redemption of those who rue. Protect the sinner without doing him wrong. But strengthen his courage for life ; then the mercy of the Lord will bear thee l ).

Support with thy word the weak and the distressed in spirit whenever thou canst ; then the hand that bears the universe will support thee. Participate with those who are suffering in heart, in passionate prayer and mourning of the heart ; then before thy demand a fountain of grace will be opened. lie strenuous in prayer at all time before God, with a heart full of chaste deliberations mingled with passion; then He will preserve thy mind from impure thoughts, so that the way of God be not disordered in thee. Occupy thy gaze with constant I) Luke 17,21. Matth. 6,10. 1 Cor. 13, 12. ou SiH %xArxxrjli,i to7; ifixfTOfj-ijOK;. intercourse with intelligent recitation [of the scriptures], lest, on account of idleness, the sight of foreign things defile thy look. Do not tempt thy mind, for the sake of examination, by consideration of impure seductive thoughts, thinking that thou shalt not he vanquished, liven wise men have been perturbed in this place and deviated. Do not take fire in thy bosom, as hath been said ').

Without severe bodily trouble, it is hard for the untrained youth to be bound under the yoke of saintliness. 1 he sign of the beginning of darkness of mind manifests itself in the soul by dejection, in the first place with regard to service and prayer. Kor it is not possible that the way in thy soul towards error should be opened if thou hast not fallen in 15 this point first. Then, being bereft of God's help — which [else] affords a way unto Him — thou wilt easily fall into the hands of the foes. And further, being without care for the matters of excellence, thou wilt be carried towards the contrary things in every manner. Departing, from any side, is the beginning I of approaching-] to the opposite one. Let the service of excellence be firm in thy soul ; meditate on it and so on. Show thy weakness before God at all times, lest strangers come to examine thy strength while thou art separated from thy helper. The service of the cross is a double one. And this is in accordance with its twofold nature which is divided into two parts: patience in face of bodily troubles, which is accomplished through the instrumentality of the anger of the soul; this is called 1 practice.

And: the subtle intellectual service, in intercourse with God, constant prayer and so on, which is performed with the desiring part -) and called theory. The one purifies the affectable part ~) by the strength of zeal ; the other clears the intellectual part -) by the influence of the love of the soul, which is the natural appetite. Every one, who, before being trained in the former part, passes to the latter, on account of the pleasures it affords, desiringly ') — or rather negligently — causes [God's] anger to 16 blow against him because, before having mortified his members .s) The text has r<lXcA\'»3. Ke;ul : r<iYoAv»3 . Isaac's construction; 1 have cancelled the wau'. on the earth, i.e. before healing - the illness of his deliberations by endurance under the labours and the shame of the cross, he has dared to occupy his mind with the glory of the cross. This is what has been said by the ancient saints : If the mind desires to ascend the cross before the senses have become silent on account of weakness, the anger of God will strike it.

By the fact of the ascension of the cross causing anger he does not point to the first part, namely, the bearing of troubles patiently (which is the crucifying of the. body) but to the theoretical ascension which is the second part, and which is [truly] subsequent to the healing of the soul. For he who hastens to meditate with his heart vain imaginations concerning future; things, while his mind is still stained by reprehensible passions, will be reduced to silence on his way by punishment, because, before having purified his mind by means of the trials met in subduing the carnal desires, on account of what he has heard and read merely, he has hastened headlong to tread a path full of darkness, being blind ■— • a way which exposes to danger day and night even those whose sight is sound and full of light, and who possess Grace as their guide, while their eyes are full of tears, and with prayer and weeping they convert night into day, on account of the danger of the course and the hard rocks they meet, and the phantoms of sham truth that are frequently found on the way among those who pretend to be true.

For divine things present themselves spontaneously, without thy perceiving them, if the place of the heart be pure and undefiled. i 7 If the small pupil of thy soul has not been purified, do not venture to look at the globe of the sun, lest thou be bereft even of the usual sight, which is simple faith and humbleness and confession of the heart and light service in accordance with thy power : ), and thou be cast into one of the intelligible places, which is the darkness without God, like him who ventured to go to the meal in sordid habits :i ). constituents of Islam. Cf. (jlia/.ah, Ihyii', I, 1 09. passage it shows its sententious character in an evident way. for here the contest is not written in the 2 1 "' person. Us sententious character appears also from the fact that it occurs three times in Isaac's book. Indeed it is not Isaac's spiritual property, but a popular sentence in Hellenistic literature. Stobaeus ascribes it to KhcLjitius and gives it in the following redaction : xz'ixz-ep di to roO v,?Jou $<dq obx tVn tjexrzT'lzi sirHevti xxi xSvjxrca rtFrom labour and watchfulness springs purity of deliberations. And from purity of deliberations inward light.

And from here the mind is guided by Grace towards that which it is not allowed to the senses either to teach or to learn. Let excellence be reckoned by thee as the body, contemplation as the soul. The two [form] one complete spiritual man, composed of sensible and intelligible parts. And as it is not possible that the soul reach existence and birth without the accomplished formation of the body, so it is not possible that contemplation, the second soul, the spirit of revelations, be formed in the womb of the intellect which receives the fulness of spiritual seed, without the corporeal performance of excellence, the dwellingplace of the knowledge which receives revelations. Contemplation is the apprehension of the divine mysteries which are hidden in the things spoken. When thou nearest of being far from the world, of leaving the world, of being pure from the world, thou art first in need t s of learning and knowing — not after the fashion of a novice, but with the impulses of gnosis — what the term world means, how many different meanings the word conveys. Then thou wilt be able thyself to know, in how far thou art distant from or connected with the world.

Ob yxp x-j rrMTTOTS eiJf/ i^lxA/idi; : ^Ktov iiKtQtt%i\$ (/.q yfyEvjj/zfvo? ob'le to xxAov xj '1S01 •i'vx*! 1**1 v.xAy yijO[±t;vvf. I'e-jtriw ciy TrpuJrc-j isottoyc, t3? kxi y.xXbc, ttxc, ei ]ii?,Ka Oixtxt'jxi Qiov re xxi xxAbv. Probably, however. ls:\ac did not borrow the sentence from any of these three authorities, but from the works of Uionysius, where it occurs (Ecclvsiastim Hicrarchia, p. 7 in this form : y.xi (j.01 [J.y4uc, xTeAea-TOq ixi Tij-s 4ex/ Utu kxi yxp OjSi Txl^ tiAiorevKratt; xhyx'ic, ev xcrfa'/ETi xopxis xMTanru-j axi'vSuvov ov$i to~ic, inrlp v,\J.xc, hy%ape!-j xftt.xfitt;. l) I.ittendly: the light of the r^Au^-i^ . world. Therefore they even cannot perceive their affections and because they do not perceive them they are not anxious to be cured from them. The world is said by speculative examination to be the extension of a common name unto distinct affections. If we wish to call the aftections by a common name we call them world; if we mention the aftections separately, we call them by their separate names. The affections are parts of the usual current of the world. Where they have ceased, there the world 's current has ceased.

They are : love of riches ; gathering of possessions ; fatness of the body giving rise to the tendency towards carnal desire ; love of honour which is the source of envy ■ exercising government ; 19 pride and haughtiness of magistracy; folly; glory among men, which is the cause of choler, bodily fear. Where their current has been dammed, there the world, after their example, has to some extent ceased to be maintained and to exist. In the same way as some of the saints, who though being alive, yet are dead ; for they are alive bodily, but they do not live carnally. See in which of those thou art alive; then thou shalt know in how many parts thou art living to the world and in how many thou art dead. When thou hast learned what the world is, thou wilt be instructed in these distinctions and also concerning thy being bound to the world or thy being free from it. In short : the world is bodily behaviour and carnal thoughts. For the overcoming of the world is also to be recognised in these two : viz. from the change of behaviour and from the alteration of the impulses.

From the impulses of thy mind to the things towards which its impulses go astray, thou canst understand the measure of thy behaviour : viz. to which things thy nature turns without labour; which are the constant inclinations and which are those set into motion fortuitously ; whether the mind is the agent for the apprehension of incorporeal impulses only, or whether it works wholly through matter ; whether this materiality is an affected state, or whether the impulses are but the stamps of the mind's service to the body, so that the mind, not of its own will, is hallucinating concerning those faculties by which it performs virtues and from which, in a sound state, it derives 20 its motive for fervour and concentration of thought, so that the mind can act corporeally, even with the loftiest aim, because of its lack of experience, even though it be in no affected state ; and whether the mind is not distressed by the unseen touch of the stamps of the imaginations, in view of its excessive radiance in God, which is wont to cut off vain recollections.

The short descriptions of this chapter are sufficient for a man's illumination if he be quiet and intelligent; and they outweigh many books. Bodily fear is strong in man, so strong that it often withholds him from praiseworthy and honourable things. But when it is face to face with psychic fear it is absorbed by it as coldness by the force of a flame.

The soul whose nature is not greatly solicitous for the gathering of possessions, does not require great diligence in order to find within itself impulses of wisdom unto God. For freedom from connection with the world will naturally set in motion flashes of intuition from which it can exalt itself unto God and remain in ecstasy. When the waters from without do not enter the fountain of the soul, its natural waters will arise, viz. the wonderful intuitions which are moving towards God at all time. 21 As often as the soul is found not to be in this state, it has either found a starting point in foreign recollections, or the senses have caused it to be troubled by the touch of [outward] things, when the senses are fenced in by solitude without a break and recollections have grown dim by its helpful influence — then thou wilt see what the nature of the deliberations of the soul, and what the nature of the soul is, and what treasures are collected in it. These treasures arc incorporeal intuitions which arise from the soul without care or labour being spent on them.

Nay, a man does not even know that such deliberations could arise in human nature, nor does he know who was his teacher, or how he has found that which he cannot describe to his companion, or who has been his guide towards that which he has not learned from another ] ). i) The passage reminds in a remarkable way of l'lotinus' description of the spontaneous character of the illumination. Zellcr, Phil. J. Gricdwn*, 111, 2, p. 672 describes it thus: ulinc Vermitthmg nnd Vorbereitung, durch cine [ilotzliche Erleuchtung geht es in der Seele auf, sie kann nicht sagcu wohcr cs koinml, oh von innen odor von aussen, ja es kommt streng genommen, gar niclit, sondern es ist uumittelbar da. This is the nature of the soul. So the affections are additions, entering the soul on account of [certain) causes. But naturally the soul is not affectablc ] ). When thou find est psychic or corporeal affections here or there in the scriptures, such things are said concerning those causes. But the soul naturally has no affections. But the philosophers who are without do not believe this ; neither do those who are their followers. But we believe that God has not made His image affectable.

With I lis image I do 2 not mean the body but the soul which is invisible '). Every image is a copy in which the prototype is depicted. And a visible image cannot be the copy of something invisible. So we believe that the affections of the soul are not natural as they say. If any one likes to dispute concerning this point we will ask him: What is natural to the soul? To be without affections, full of light, or moved by the affections and dark? Now if the nature of the soul is to be clear and a receptacle of the blessed light, it will be found in this condition when it returns unto its original state. But when it is moved by the affections, all the members of the church confess it to have abandoned its nature. Consequently the affections are later accessions to the nature of the soul. And it is not at all becoming to think the affections to be psychic. If the soul be moved by them, nevertheless it is clear that it is moved by something outside it, not by what is its own.

And if these [affections| are thought to be natural, because the soul is moved by them through the intermediary cause of the body, then hunger, thirst and sleep would also be natural to the soul because it is affected and brought to rest by them along with the body. And this would also be true for the amputation of limbs, fever, pains, illnesses and so on, by which the body is affected because of its connection with the soul and the soul because of its connection with the body, being affected with joy because of bodily experiences, and receiving distress, along with the torments of the body. What is natural to the soul; w hat is oxter n a 1 to and what is above: it s n a ture ■'). Natural to the soul is the understanding of all created things, I, l>. 264. sensible and intelligible. Above its nature its beingmoved by divine contemplation ; external to its nature its being excited emotionally by the affections. Also the light of the world, the victorious Basilius, says thus: when the soul is in its natural order, it is found above ; When it has abandoned its nature, it is found beneath and on the earth.

There are no affections above, where also the place of the soul is said to be. But when its nature abandons its order, it becomes affectable. Where then are the affections of the soul, now that it appears that they do not belong to its nature? It is clear that tbe soul is moved by the reprehensible affections which are in the body, as also it is moved by hunger and thirst on account of the body. But because there are no laws concerning these, the soul is not reprehensible on account of them. Just as, sometimes, a man is ordered by God to do those things which are blameworthy and he receives, instead of blame and reprehension, good reward, as Hosea the prophet who contracted an unlawful marriage and as Elijah who committed slaughter in his zeal for God and as those, who on Moses' order, stabbed with swords their kindred. But it is said that, apart from what belongs to the nature of -the body, the soul has also that which belongs to its nature, viz. anger and choler ; and these are its passions. Second question.

We ask: when the desire of the soul is kindled to a flame by divine things, does this belong to its h nature, or rather when it is set upon earthly and bodily things? And when it is said that the nature of the soul is on fire for the sake of those things which excite its zeal, is then this passion natural when it goes hand in hand with bodily desire, envy, glory and so on, or when it goes in the direction opposite to them ? We shall answer the disputed question and we too shall enquire into it. The holy writ says many things allegorically l ) ; and often it uses metaphorical ") terms. Many times it applies to the soul that which belongs to the body and to the body that which belongs to the soul without distinguishing between the two, for the sake of succinctness. Now the intelligent understand what they read, viz. the aim of scripture. In the things related to the divinity of our Lord for instance, in a high and elevated i) "p^Jsn <&\CV°A:i r^X'irtx. six TkK.vnsFS ox Tin; ukiiavioi'r or kxcku-knck ij way, applies to I lis humanity, that which docs not suit human nature and to His divinity what does not suit it.

And many who do not understand the aim of the language of scripture have stumbled here so that they never could rise again. — So it is also with the things which concern soul and bod)-. If excellence is the natural health of the soul, the affections however ailments accustomed to oppress it and to bereave it of its health, it is clear that health is prior in nature to accidental illnesses. And if this be so (as it is indeed true) then excellence necessarily must be natural to the soul and the accidental external to its nature. For it is not possible that what is prior should not be natural. 2 5 Third question. The affections of the body are they naturally inherent in it or of a secunclary nature' And those which affect the soul, by the intermediary of the body, are they secondary or natural? To call those of the body not natural, is impossible.

As to the soul — because it is known and universally confessed that purity belongs to its nature — no one will venture in view of this fact to maintain that it is primarily affectable; for it is generally conceded that ailment is secondary to health and it is not possible that one and the same things should be a good and an evil nature. One of the two, in any case, must be the prior of the other; and that which is the older one, is also the natural. Whatever is accidental, cannot be said to be natural and essential; but it is an irruption from without. And all accident and obtrusion is connected, whenever it be, with variation and change. Nature, however, does not change or vary. All ] ) existing affections are given to be a help to each of the natures to which they naturally belong and for the growth of which they were given by God. The bodily affections are placed by God in the body for the sake of profit and growth of the body, and the psychic affections, i. e. the psychic powers, for the sake of the growth and profit of the soul.

And when the body is compelled to desist from its affectable nature, by withdrawing from the affections, and to follow the nature of the soul, it is injured. And when the soul leaves its own nature and follows that of the body, it is injured. Because, according to the word of the Apostle, the spirit desires that which harms l) Cf. Introduction Verli. Af.l. I.etUrk. uyri I Won 26 the body and the body desires that which harms the spirit '). And these two are naturally opposites to one another. Therefore no one shall abuse (rod because lie has implanted in our nature affections and sins. For, when He set in order each nature, He implanted in it that which gives it growth. But if one. connects itself with the other, it is no longer in its own domain, but in a foreign one. If these affections naturally belonged to the soul, why then should the soul be injured when using them? For that which is the property of nature, does not injure it. And how is it, that the accomplishment of the bodily affections is profitable and helpful to the body, whereas those of the soul injure the soul, if they belong to it?

And why should, if this be true, excellence torment the body, but be beneficial unto the soul 5 Thou seest how what is external to their nature injures everyone of these natures. For every one of these natures exults when it is near to what is its own If thou art desirous to know what are the properties of every one of these natures, thou must observe that its properties are those things by the use of which it profits. And if it is tormented by [the use of] any of these things, then know that it is influenced by what is not its property. We conclude: If it is known, that the affections of every one of these natures are each other's opposites, then, consequently, all that gives profit and rest to the body when used by the soul has not to be reckoned as belonging to the soul. Because what is natural to the soul is fatal to the body, except those things which are connected with the soul in some secondary way. Because of the wcak27 ness of the flesh the soul can absolutely not be freed from them, as long as it is clad with the flesh.

For its nature is connected with the troubles of the flesh because of the union of its impulses with the carnal senses, with which they are interwoven by the inscrutable wisdom. And, though intermingled in this way, nevertheless impulses are distinguished from impulses, and will from will, viz. the carnal from the spiritual one. And nature is not at all composite nor does it disavow what is its property. And though man renders the impulses in a high degree equal to each other, by sin or by excellence, at certain times every one exerts its will and shows its power. l) ('('. CahUiiins 5, 17. But when bodily thoughts have to some extent been lifted up, then their impulses manifest themselves wholly in the spiritual sphere, swimmingin the heart of heaven with incomprehensiblc things. But even then the body cannot remain without some memory of what its own is, even as, when the impulses are in the domain of sin, the beautiful emotions of the soul are not brought to silence in the mind. What is purity of mind? Not that one who does not know evil things, is pure of mind — that were to be a brute.

Nor do we call pure of mind those whom nature has placed in the age of boyhood ; that were to postulate that man should not belong to the class of created beings. But purity of mind consists in being captivated by divine things, [a state] that is only reached when many virtues have been practised. We do not venture to say that he that has reached it, has acquired it without the experience of contrary deliberations. Else he would not be clad with a body. For we do not think 2 8 that before the world-to-be nature can be purged from contrary [inclinations]. The temptation of the deliberations is not, in my opinion this, that one surrenders to them, but the beginning of the struggle within the deliberations which begins in the mind on account of the four kinds of bases which are the root of movement to all kinds of affections. So that in this life there is not found anyone exalted above earthly recollections, even if he belong to the masters of the battle and, like l'aul, be reputed perfect.

But while the body by means of its impulses, in accordance with the order of nature, and the world by its natures through the intermediation of the senses, and the soul by deliberations, recollections and powers of deviation, and the demons by the co-operating forces of the things mentioned — while the power of these fourfold affections is experienced by him"), he will be troubled to a small degree only a ) and be drawn towards the excellent things which are seen by intuition. Decide thou, whether it is possible that one of these four be annihilated before the annihilation of the world, or by the transition that takes places at death ; or whether the bod)- can elevate itself wholly above its needs, without nature's urging it to seek any 2o s i \ •ii<i:A'nsi;s <>x ' i ■ 1 1 1 •: i;kiia\ tot k ok k.wki.lknvk of the worldly things. If now this is deemed absurd, so long as these [tour powersj exist, it is necessary that also the affections move themselves in all beings clad wilh a body, and consequently caution must be practised by ever)' one.

By the affections I do not understand one or two, but all the different (Mies which [occur inj those clad with flesh. lUit if a man should 29 venture jto say that he experiences only) weak impulses and harmless strife, we would say that, whoever such people may be, they do not require works but great watchfulness. What is the d t f f e r e n c e b e t \v e e n p u r i t y o f m i n d l ) and purity o f h e a r t. Purity of mind is something" other than purity of heart, just as there is a difference between one of the members of the whole body and the whole body. The mind is one of the senses of the soul. The heart is the central organ") of the inward senses-, this means the sense of senses, because it is the root :! ). And if the root is holy, so also are all the branches. But this is not so if it is holy in one of the branches only. Now with but little acquaintance with the scriptures and a little exercise in fasting and solitude, the mind forgets its former occupation and is cleansed, while it refrains from foreign habits.

But is also easily defiled. The heart is purified through great trouble and by beingdeprived of all association with the world, together with a complete mortification in every point. And when it has been purified, its purity is not defiled by the touch of insignificant [worldly) things-, this means: it has no fear even before severe struggles. For it possesses a sound stomach that easily digests all sorts of food which are difficult for others who are sick in their interior. For the physicians say: All meat which is difficult of digestion, increases the forces of the sound body, because it is taken up by a strong stomach. In the same way every 30 purification that is brought about easily, in a short time and by small labours, is easily defiled again, But the purity that is acquired through great troubles and after a long time by the highest part of the soul, is not endangered by insignificant touches of the [worldly} things. Ouiet senses give birth to peace in the soul, because they do not allow it to experience strife. But since the soul has no I) rdlo-iw-i .tiwrtf' 3) Cf. Introduction. sensation of any thing, it is a victory without struggle.

But when it becomes negligent, it is not able to remain steadfast, and when it strives to ged rid of apprehension after the latter has got accession, the soul destroys its previous properties, viz. serenity and natural perfection. For the majority of men, and possibly the whole world, leave their first state on account of this cause '). Only one out of many returns to his first place when he has once adopted the second habit. Much better is simplicity than the different kinds of forgiveness. Human nature needs fear in order to euard against the borders of the commandments being crossed, [it needs] love to excite the desire of good things, for the sake of which man hastens to perform beautiful things. Spiritual knowledge is posterior to the performance of excellence. Prior to both are love and fear. And fear is prior to love. Every one who ventures to acquire the latter things before the former, undoubtedly lays a perishable foundation in his soul. For they are placed by God in such an order, that these proceed from those.

Do not interchange the love of thy neighbour with the love of [worldly] things, for that which is precious above all things, is hidden in it. [ A material object which is a mark for the eyes of the flesh, is also' of such a nature as to affect the hidden visual powers ; and the affections which cloud the second natural contemplation, acts in the same manner for the natural steadfastness. They are related to one another in the same way, up to where ceases the current of all kinds of contemplation. When the mind is in a state of natural steadfastness, it is in angelic contemplation , which is the first and natural contemplation which is also named naked mind. When the mind is in the second state of natural knowledge, it sucks and is sustained by the milk from the corporeal breasts ; this state is called the last garment of the afore-mentioned state-, it is placed after [the state of] purity, which the mind enters first. It is prior in being, for it is the first stage of knowledge, although posterior in honour.

On this account, therefore, it is also called the second one, as also on account of the indications of some of the tokens by which the mind is purified and trained for the ascent to a second order, which is the perfection of the inteli) Negligence. nillOCO lectual impulses, and the stage which is near divine contemplation l ). The last garment of the mind are the senses. Its state of nakedness is its being moved by kinds of non-material contemplation. Leave the small things in order to find the honoured ones. Be dead in life, then thou wilt not live in death. Let thyself die in integrity, but not live in guiltiness-). Not only those who suffer death for the sake of the faith in Christ are martyrs, but also those who die for the sake of keeping his commandments. Be not inept in thy petitions, lest thou grieve God by thy ignorance. Learn to pray with prudence, that thou mayest be esteemed worthy of glorious things. Seek well-esteemed things from Him, who does not withhold; then thou wilt receive honour from Him, because of the choice of thy wise will.

Solomon sought wisdom and he received, apart from it, the earthly kingdom, because he knew how to ask wisely viz. great things from the King. hlisha sought one or two parts of the spirit that was upon his master and his request was not withheld from him. The honour of the King is lessened by him who seeks con temptible things. Israel sought despicable things ; it gained the anger of God. It neglected to wonder at the workings and terrible effects of His deeds and it sought the desires of its belly. And while their food was still in their mouth, the anger of God reached them. Present thy requests unto God in accordance with His glorious being, in order that thy honour be great in His eyes and He rejoice in thee. When a man seeks from a king a measure full of dung he will not only be despised on account of his despicable request, i) The above passage betrays its relation with Philonean thought at once by the term "naked mind" which often occurs in I'hilo (I 76 s<[., 98, 179, 27. There is further concordance, but also difference between the two authors. Both of them distinguishes three kinds of nakedness.

According to Isaac, they are: the puerile state, the state of natural purity, and the purified state. According to I'hilo (d 76 scj.) they are: the puerile slate; the state of Noah's drunkenness in which the sold has lost its faculties: the state of purity in which the soul has abandoned all earthly things. tov iTM/xXTCg xto ^ \j ^ c, ' 6 li tS-j (\,iho?6^(a-j , ?.vOjj.fjy$ r^q ^"JC?? xrrd tou crainxrot;. And the Pythagorean sentence in Stobaeus (p. 15: reivxvxi ttoMm Kpetrrov >i Si zxpxrt'x-j tijv ^ti^ijv exposing thus his ignorance, but he also insults the king by his insipid demand : such also is he who in prayer asks corporeal things from God. Lo, the angels and the archangels which are the chiefs of the angels look at thee in the time of prayer, [in order to know) which prayer thou wilt present unto their Lord. And they wonder at thee when they see the corporeal one leaving his dunghill and asking heavenly things. 33 Do not seek from (rod that which Me is anxious to give us even l[ we do not beg for it, which He withholds not from his housemates and not even from those who are wholly foreign to the knowledge of Him, nay who do not even know that He is.

Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do l ). What is this "as the heathen"? The corporeal things are sought by the peoples of the earth ; but give ye no thought saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink or wherewithal! shall we be clothed? For your Father knoweth that ye also have need of all these things -). A son does not ask bread from his father, but makes supplication concerning the great portions in .store for him in the house of his father. That which our Lord has commanded concerning daily bread, namely that we pray for it, is a petition which he handed down to the common people, because of the weakness of their minds. Regard that which he commands to those who are perfect in knowledge and sound of soul, viz. : ye shall not take thought of food or raiment. If your Father bestows care upon the fowls that have no soul, how much more upon you. lkit ask from God the Kingdom and righteousness, then he will add these things too. If He is slow in granting thy request, when thou askest without receiving promptly, then be not distressed. For thou art not wiser than God.

When thou remainest as thou art :v ), [it isj cither because thy behaviour does not agree with thy request ; or because the ways of thy heart diverge from the aim of thy prayer; or because thy inner state is childish in comparison with the greatness of the thing. It is not becoming that great things should fall into our 34 hands easily; lest the gift of God should be thought to be mean because of its being acquired without difficulty. I) Matthew 6,7. Matthew 6,31 s<[. The pi.iyer not being heard. All that is acquired with labour, is guarded with caution. Thirst after Jesus ; then he will satisfy thee with his love. Shut thy eyes to the precious things of the world •, then thou wilt be deemed worthy of a peace given by God to reign in thy heart. Restrain thyself from the allurements that arc shining for the eyes ; then thou wilt be deemed worthy of spiritual joy. If thy behaviour is not worthy of God, do not ask from Him praised things, lest thou appear as a man who tries God. Prayer accords strictly with behaviour. No man desires heavenly things as long as he is bound with ties [impeding] his will, on account of the body.

And no man asks divine things while he is occupied with earthly things. The desire of every man is known from his works; and that which he cares for, he will be anxious to seek in prayer. And he will be zealous in showing by his outward deeds that which he asks for in his prayer. He who desires great things, has no intercourse with mean ones. Be free even while thou art bound in the body and show submission in thy freedom for the sake of Christ ; and be wise in thy innocence, lest thou be beguiled. Love humility in thy dealings, that thou mayest be freed from the imperceivable snares which are continually to be found by the side of the paths on which the humble walk. Do not reject the troubles, by means of which thou art led towards knowledge. Do not fear temptations by means of which thou wilt find precious things. Fray that thou mayest not be led into temptations of the soul. To those of the body thou shalt prepare thyself with all thy force and with all thy limbs thou shalt swim in them. For without them it is impossible for thee to approach unto God. For beyond them lies divine rest.

Who flees from temptations, ilees from excellence; not from the temptations of desires, but from [those of] troubles. How does the sentence "pray, that ye enter not into temptation" ') concord with "strive to enter in at the strait gate" ~) and "fear not them which kill the body" :! ) and "he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it"? 1 ) i) Matthew 26,41. I .tike 13,24. Matthew 10,28. Matthew 10,39. 111 all these places our Lord recommends to us temptations; but in that he orders us to pray that we enter not into temptation. What kind of excellence can be accomplished without temptations? Or what kind of temptation is stronger than the which he orders us to undergo for His sake? And "he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" l ). "Pray that ye enter not into temptation", but entering into temptations occurs everywhere in his teachings. And he has said: without temptations the Kingdom of heaven is not found. O how strait is the way of thy teachings, our Lord! And he who does not discriminate with knowledge, as he reads, will always remain without it, as far as his insight is concerned.

When the sons of Zebedee and their mother desired of him to sit with him in the Kingdom, he postulated this: Are ye able to suffer gladly the cup of temptations? Are ye able to 36 drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with-)? And how orderest Thou here, O our Lord: pray that ye enter not? Which are the temptations into w h i c h we shall p r a y not to enter. Pray that thou enterest not into temptation concerning thy belief. Pray that thou enterest not into temptation through mental presumtion, with the demon of abuse and haughtiness. Pray that thou enterest not, under [God's] admission, into the manifest temptations of the senses, which Satan is able to instill unto thee with God's permission, on account of the foolish thoughts thou hast cherished. Pray that the witness of chastity be not taken away from thee lest thou be tempted in the flames of sin without him. Pray that thou enterest not into the temptation of abusing anything. Pray therefore, that thou enterest not into psychic temptations, namely those which lead the soul into struggle, doubt and allurements.

Put prepare for the bodily ones with thy whole: body and swim in them with all thy limbs, thy eyes full of tears, that thou be found amidst of them with thy guardian, lor without temptations CtocI's care cannot be perceived and familiarity of speech with Him cannot be acquired and spiritual wisdom cannot be learnt and the love of God cannot be implanted in the soul. Before [having experienced] temptations, man prays unto God as a stranger. But when he has entered into troubles for the sake of his love, without being changed, then, as one that has laid upon God [the obligation of paying] a certain loan, he is reckoned as His housemate and His friend, who has fought, for the sake of His will, against the host of His enemies. This 37 is [the meaning of) : Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And further: pray that thou enterest not into temptations for the sake of thy self-exaltation, but for the sake of thy love of God, that His power may be conspicuous in thee. Pray that thou enterest not into such on account of the folly of thy thoughts and deeds, but in order that thou provest to be a friend of God and His power be glorified in thy endurance.

On the mercy of our Lord in this matter, who m e a s u r e s h is wo r d in a c c o rdance w i t h human w e a knes s. Further he deals [with us] in this matter compassionately. II thou considerest bodily things [it appears that God], also in this point has remembered the weakness of nature ; it was possible that, on account of the wretchedness of the body, we should not find fortitude against the power of the temptations whenever it should present itself, and consequently we should even leave [the path of] truth, being overcome by troubles. Therefore he orders us that, as much as possible, we should avoid entering wilfully into temptation. And not only this, but [he even says] : Pray that you be not found in it without just cause, if it be possible to please God without temptation. But if very great excellence is desired, when temptations assail and that most terribly, and if that excellence cannot be accomplished without a man's bearing them, in that case it is not becoming to spare ourselves or anyone.

Even on account of fear thou shalt not shrink from that great thing upon which the life of thy soul depends, putting forward as an apology 38 for thy laxness : Pray that ye enter not into temptation. For such are those, concerning whom it is said that they sin secretly by [fulfilling] the commandments. If one of the divine commandments comes to be dissociated from a man, be it the state of chastity, or the habit of holiness, or the confession of faith, or the testimony concerning the word of God, or the cautiously guarding of the other prescriptions of the Law — it is impossible that he should not fall if he be afraid of temptations. Therefore he has to despise the body with complete confidence, and to entrust God with its soul and to proceed in the name of the Lord.

And He that was with Joseph in the land of Lgypt and who was the witness of his chastity, and who was with Daniel in the pit of lions, and with Hananja and his companions in the furnace, and with Jeremia in the pit of mire and who saved him and made him an object of compassion in the midst of the cam]) of the Chaldaeans ; who was with Peter in the prison and brought him out of it through shut gates; and with Paul in the synagogues of the Jews; in short, He who in all generations was with His servants always and everywhere and showed in them His power and made them victorious and guarded them miraculously so that they saw His salvation manifestly at the time of their troubles, He will strenothen and yfuard him in the midst of the storms which surround him.

Therefore he shall arm himself against the invisible foe and his hosts with the zeal of the Maccabees and of the other holy prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors and recluses who have maintained the divine laws and the spiritual commandments in frightful places and 39 among difficult and fearful temptations and who have thrown the world and the body behind them and clung to the truth in them without giving way to the constraint pressing both body and soul and endured as heroes; in short, whose names are written in the book of life until the coming of our Lord. And their deeds are preserved in the book by God's decree for our instruction and encouragement according to the testimony of the blessed Apostle, so that we may get insight from them and learn the way of God, placing their stories before our mental eyes as living images, that we may resemble them and conform the ways of our behaviour unto theirs, after the pattern of the Ancients. Io the soul endowed with mind the words of God are delightful as oily food which makes fat the body, to the palate of those who are healthy. The stories of the just are as desirable to the ear of the perfect, as a constant watering to young plantations.

Listening to God's providential leading of the Ancients be estimated by thee as precious drugs for weak eyes. And let the recollection of it be kept with thee at all times of the clay. Meditate and think of it and learn wisdom from it, that thou be able to receive in thy soul with honour the recollection of God's greatness and find for thyself everlastinglife in Jesus Christ, the mediator of God and mankind, who was one in his two natures. Though the legions of the angels are not able to look upon the glory surrounding His majestic throne, yet for thy sake Me has appeared before the world the most contemptible and humble of man; without form or comeliness; 40 and while I lis invisible nature was not within the reach of the apprehension of created beings, He accomplished His providential dealings by [covering Himself) with a veil [made of the stuff] of our limbs, in order to save the life of all.

This is he through whom He has purified many peoples ] ) and on whom the Lord has laid the sin of us all -), as Jesaja says. It pleased the Lord to humble him and to put him to grief x ). Sin has been placed in him who knew no sin [ ). To whom, for his providential dealings in all generations for our sake, be glory and praise and thanksgiving and adoration from all, now and at all time and for ever and ever. Amen.

The soul that loves God [finds] its rest in God only. First detach from thyself the outward bonds, then strive to bind thy heart to God. To be detached from matter is prior to being bound to God. When a child has been weaned, bread is given him as food. And a man who wishes to become excellent in God, has first to wean himself from the world, as a child is weaned from his mother's breasts. Bodily labours are prior to psychic service, as the creation of the body takes place before that of the soul. For he who does not perform bodily labour, does not per4 1 form psychic labours either. For the latter are born out of the former as the ears from mere grains. And he who does not perform psychic service, is also devoid of spiritual gifts. Femporary suffering for the sake of the truth is not to be compared with the delight preserved for those who perform labours of excellence. As the weeping of the time of sowing is followed by the joys of harvest J ), so are the labours for the sake of God followed by joy. I he bread earned with sweat, delights the workman; labours for the sake of righteousness, the heart that has received the knowledge of Christ.

Suffer contempt and -) humiliation in the thought of excellence, for the: sake of the heart's familiarity of speech with God. Kvcry time a man suffers a hard word with discernment, save only when it is caused by his own fault, he receives a crown of thorns on his head for the sake of Christ ; blessed is he! At other times he is crowned and knows it not. He who flees from the fame [that rests] on knowledge, will perceive in himself the hope of the world to come. He who promises to leave the world, yet quarrels with men concerning [worldly! things because he is not willing to give up anything of what is agreeable unto him, he is perfectly blind, because he has given up the whole world voluntarily, yet quarrels about a part of it. If anyone flees from what is agreeable [unto him| in this world, his mind will behold the world to come. He who is master of possessions, is the slave of passions. Do not estimate gold and silver only as possessions, but all things thou possessest for the sake of the desire of thy will. He who cuts off impediments from fear of affections, he is a wise man indeed. Without the constant service of excellence true knowledge 42 cannot be found.

Not by bodily works alone is the knowledge of life acquired, but by directing our efforts to the cutting off of mental affections. He who labours without discernment will easily become the victim of the causes of sin when they present themselves to him. Never praise him who labours with his body, but concerning his senses is lax and without constraint, viz. whose ears and mouth are open and whose eyes are prone to wander. 30 srx iri:a risi.s ox tiik bkhaykxjk ok kxcku.kni'k If thou settest up as thy aim to practice merry, train thyself not to pursue justice in other fields, lest thou appear to work with one hand and to spill with the other. For there clemency is necessary, but here magnanimity. Let the forgiveness of those who are guilty towards thee in these things, be reckoned by thee as a work of righteousness.

Then thou wilt see peace springing up in thy soul from both sides, that is when thy path is superior to dignity and justice, and thou wilt favour the rise of freedom in all things. l ; or one of the saints, speaking of these things, says: The merciful, if he be not just, is blind, in so far as he provides others from wealth which has been gathered with justice and by his own labours, and not from the acquirements of falsehood, oppression, iniquity and cunning. In the same way, in another place, this man preaches : If thou sowest among the poor, sow from thy own possessions; what thou sowest from those of others is much more bitter 43 than weeds. But I say : if the merciful be not even above justice, he is not merciful. This means, that he will not only show mercy unto men on his own part, but that he will voluntarily suffer iniquity with delight, so that he does not maintain and postulate full justice in his dealings with his fellow men, but is merciful towards him and surpassing justice by mercy, wreathing for himself the crown not of the just under the law, but of the perfect under the new covenant.

To g"ive the poor from one's own possessions, and to cover the naked on seeing them, to love the neighbour as one self, not to do iniquity or falsehood, are things commanded also by the old law. But perfection in behaviour, according to the new covenant, commands thus: If a man takes from thee, do not demand back ; give every one who asks from thee. And not only hast thou to suffer gladly iniquitous dealing in possessions and other outward things, but thou hast even to give thyself in behalf of thy neighbour. Merciful is he, who shows his compassion cowards his neighbour not only in gifts, but who after hearing or seeing anything" that causes suffering to any one, cannot withhold his heart from burning; who, even if he receives a blow on his cheek from his brother, does not venture to repay him even with a word and so cause him to sutfer intellectually. Honour the works of vigils, then thou wilt find consolation near in thy self. Be constantly occupied with recitation in solitude, then thou wilt be drawn towards ecstasy at all times. 44 Love poverty with endurance, that thy mind may be concentrated and so not wander. Hate abundance, that thou be preserved against confusion of mind.

Cut off j intercourse with] the multitude and take care of thy behaviour that thy soul be saved from spilling its inward rest. Love chastity lest thou be put to shame at the time of prayer before Him who exposes thee to strife. Acquire a pure behaviour, that thy soul may exult during prayer and joy be kindled in thy mind at the recollection of death. Keep control of small things, lest thou neglect great ones. Be not lazy with regard to labours lest thou be put to shame when in presence of all comrades. Pursue thy work with knowledge, lest it throw thee out of thy whole course. Be not destitute of provisions ; lest [thy companions] leave thee alone in the midst of the way and depart. Acquire freedom in thy behaviour, that thou be freed from confusion. Do not use thy freedom for the sake of comfort, lest thou become a slave of slaves. Love abstinence in thy behaviour, that the deliberations leading to haughtiness of heart and lasciviousness may be restrained. That he who loves finery should acquire a humble mind, is not possible. Lor the heart within and the habits without necessarily must be parallel one to another.

Who would be able to acquire chastity of mind, when he is addicted to luxuriance 3 And who could acquire humble inward deliberations, when he is pursuing outward glory? And who is he, that being lascivious without and lax in his limbs, should be chaste in his 45 heart and pious in his deliberations? When the mind is guided by the senses, it feeds with them upon the food of the beasts; but when the senses are guided by the mind, they feed with it upon the sustenance of the angels. Vain glory is a servant to fornication. If it is concerned with behaviour, to haughtiness. To humility brevity is proper. Love of glory is connected with prolixity. The former through constant concentration, attains to contemplation and arms the soul unto chastity. The latter through the continual wandering of the mind, gathers provisions through contact with [outward] things, and denies the heart. It touches lasciviously upon the nature of things and excites the mind through lascivious deliberations. The former is spiritually concentrated by contemplation and moves its possessors towards glory. Compare not all powers and signs that are worked in the whole world, with a man's consciously sitting in solitude.

Love the ease of solitude rather than satisfying the hunger of the world and the converting of the multitude of heathen peoples from error unto adoring God. Let it be more excellent in thy eyes to detach thyself from the bonds of sin, than to detach the subdued unto liberty from those who subject their bodies. Prefer to make peace with thyself, in harmony with the trinity within thee: body, soul and spirit, rather than to appease those who are angry at thy teachings. Love simplicity of speech together with experienced know46 ledge within, rather than the production of a Gihon of teachings by acuteness of mind and out of a deposit of hear-say and ink. Be anxious to quicken the deadness of thy soul caused by affections, unto the emotion of the impulses in God, rather than to quicken those who are dead in the natural sense. There have been many people who have exercised powers, quickened the dead, bestowed their labour upon the erring, done great signs and drawn many people towards God byexciting their admiration of the things done by them ; but afterwards those who have saved others, have fallen into impure and disreputable passions.

And after they had given life to others, they have brought themselves to death and caused themselves to stumble by the offence given by their works. The cause of this is, that, while they were still sick of soul, they did not care for their own healing, but plunged themselves into the sea of the world in order to heal the souls of others, being still sick themselves. So they have bereft themselves of the hope in God as I said before, because the weakness of their senses was not yet able to bear the touch of the rays of [worldly] things that excite usually the vehemence of the affections in those who still are in want of caution. I mean the sight of women and comfort and money and worldly things, and the passion for governing and for exalting oneself above others. Be despised by fools for simplicity, not by the wise for audacity. Seek poverty for humility's sake and do not seek riches 47 for the sake of audaciousness. Confound critics by the power of thy virtues, not by thy word ; and the impudence of those who will not be persuaded, by the peace fulness of thy lips, not by sounds.

Confound the lascivious by thy honourable behaviour and those of audacious sensuality by the chastity of thy eyeballs that are concentrated within thee in quiet. Deem thyself a stranger wherever thou enterest all thy lifelong T ), that thou mayest be able to flee from the great damages rising from freedom of speech. Think concerning thyself always that thou knowest nothing, that thou mayest be liberated from the reprehensible things caused in thee by conceit; then thou wilt be entitled to direct others. Let thy mouth constantly administer blessing; then the scorn of any one will never hurt thee. Disdain gives birth to disdain, blessing to blessing. Think concerning thyself always that thou needest teaching, in order that thou be found a wise man during thy whole life. Do not hand down to others as thy own, the practical ethics that thou hast not yet reached ; lest thou be put to shame by thyself and thy deception appear from the comparison with thy behaviour. But if thou speakest concerning what is becoming, speak as one belonging to the class of pupils, not as an authority, having before subdued thy self and shown thyself as being less than thy listener.

Then thou wilt give also thy hearers an example of humility and thy words will spur them unto the course towards [good] works and thou wilt be honoured in their eyes. 48 As much as is possible for thee, speak about such things with tears, so that it be profitable unto thyself and thy companions and attract grace towards thee. And according to Porphyrins man in this world is a stranger, who longs for home (Zellcr, Phil. d. Gricchen* III, 2, p. 71. Cf. Hebrews 11, 13 etc. Vcrh, Aid. I.ettcrV. 1922 iWcusiiu'ls . If, by the grace of Christ, thou hast reached the delight of the mysteries of the. visible created things, which is the first summit of knowledge, then arm thy soul against the spirit of slander. For without arms thou canst not hold thy place in this country, but thou wouldst soon be killed secretly by the seducers. Let thy arms be: fasting and tears which thou shedst in constant self-humiliation-, and prudence against reading books which accentuate the differences between the confessions, with the aim of causing schisms, which provides the spirit of slander with a mighty weapon against the soul. When thy stomach is replenished, do not venture to scrutinize, or thou willst regret it.

Understand what I say : in a full stomach, there is no knowledge of the mysteries of God. Be occupied with the books of God's providence intensely, without becoming satisfied. They have been composed by holy men and show the aim of His different works in His establishing the different natures J ) of the world. Let thy mind be strengthened by them and thou wilt acquire enlightened impulses from their subtlety; then thy mind will go its way with a clear consciousness towards the aim of [understanding] the right scheme of the creation of the world, according to the laudable wise intention of the Creator of the natures. Read in the two Testaments which God has destined for the instruction of the whole world, so that it should be dazzled by the power of His Providence in every generation and be enveloped in wonder. Such recitations and the like are very useful to this aim. Let thy recitation take place in complete rest, while thou art 49 free from too great care for the body and from the disturbance of practice ; then the recitation will give thy soul a delicious taste, by the sweet insight, exalted above the senses, which the soul, by constant intercourse with it, perceives in itself.

Do not deem the words that are founded upon experience as the babbling of those who sell words, lest thou remain in darkness till the end of thy life, bereft of their profit, groping in the night in times of war, nay even falling into one of the pits, under the pretext of |clinging to] truth. This shall be the sign for thee, when thou art near to enter that country : when grace begins to open thy eyes so that they i) Isaac uses the word "nnlure" (rdl*^) in ^ sense corresponding with oui "species". perceive things by essential sight, at that time thy eyes will begin to shed tears till they wash thy cheeks even by their multitude, and the vehemence of the senses will be calmed so that they will be shut up within thee peacefully. If any man teach thee otherwise, do not believe him. To ask from the body anything else — as a manifest sign of the real apperception — than tears, is not allowed to thee, save only if the influence of the members of the body be silent. This takes place when the mind is elevated above [earthly] beings and the body is without tears, apprehension and emotionality, except onlyits natural animal existence.

For this knowledge docs not stoop to take with it as secondary companions of spiritual sight the 50 ideas of the things of the sensual world. " Whether in the body or out of it, I do not know". It is God who knows this as well as the fact that he has heard unutterable words '). All that is heard by the cars can be spoken. But he did not hear sensible sounds, nor did he [seej in a vision of corporeal sensible images, but with the impulses of the mind, in a state of rapture apart from the body, the will having no part in it. The eye never saw the like, the ear never heard its equal and his varied knowledge never dreamt of recollecting the likeness of what his heart saw, namely that which God has in store to show the pure in heart when they have become dead to the world : not corporeal sight received through the eyes of the flesh in gross distinctions, nor fantasies which they themselves form in their mind, in a secondary way, but simplicity of contemplation concerning things of intellect and faith — the contrary of partition and division — that show the images of the elements.

Fix thy gaze on the sphere of the sun according to thy visual strength and only with the object of enjoying its rays, noth with the aim of scrutinizing the course of its wheel, lest even thy limited sight be taken from thee :! ). If thou find honey, eat in measure lest thou, having become satisfied, hast to reject it. The nature of the soul is of small dimensions; and sometimes it proceeds onwards, desiring to learn what is beyond its nature. And many times, during the course of recitation and 51 the contemplation of things, it grasps one or more things; yet the sum of its knowledge is insignificant as compared with 3 6 six trkattsks on tiil: ihchayiour of excellknok what it found. But how far does its knowledge penetrate? (Jntil its deliberations are clad with emotion and trembling. Then it hastens to turn backwards from fear, venturing [from time to time] to penetrate into the luminous things. But fear witholds it on account of the frightfulness of these things. And discernment warns in silence the mind of the soul not to be audacious lest it should die. What is too hard for thee, seek not ; what is too strong for thee, search not.

Scrutinize with thy intellect that which has been allowed to thee, and do not venture to approach unto hidden things. Adore therefore and praise in silence and confess thy unability to understand. For too much for thee has been shown to thee, but do not trouble thyself with the rest of His works. As it is not good to eat much honey, so it is not good to examine laudable words. Lest, desiring to gaze from a great distance before we have approached near, we be exhausted by the interminable way, without having the power to gaze, and be injured. For sometimes in stead of truth fantasies arise; when namely the intellect becomes too weary to understand, and forgets its true essence. And the wise Solomon has well said that he that hath no rule over his own spirit, is like a city that is in ruins and without walls l ). It is not necessary to search for God in heaven and earth and to send out our mind to seek Him in different places. 52 Purify thy soul, o man, and strip thyself from the thought of recollections which are unnatural and hang before thy impulses the curtain of chastity and humility. Thereby thou wilt find Him that is within thee.

For to the humble the mysteries are revealed. If thou wouldst give thyself to the service of the pure prayer of the mind and to constant vigils in order to acquire a mind clacl with light, withdraw thyself from the sight of the world, and cut off intercourse by speech. And refuse to receive in thy cell thy accustomed friend, even [if he comes] for the sake of excellence, save only him that has the same aim as thyself and shares in the secrets of thy behaviour. If thou art in fear of distraction and secret psychic intercourse, which originates spontaneously without our seeking it, cut off from thee even outward intercourse. I) I'rovqrtis 25, 28. Let thy prayers be followed by works of excellence, that thy soul may see the flower of the light of truth. In consequence of the heart's freedom from external recollections, the mind will receive [the gift] of ecstatic understanding of things. The soul can easily be accustomed to interchange one occupation with another if we only bestow some little care and trouble upon it.

Burden it with the labour of reading books expounding the narrow ways of behaviour, contemplation, and the stories of the saints, even if it does not perceive delight in the beginning, because of the darkness and disturbance originating in present recollections; then it will interchange one habit with another. 53 Accordingly when thou risest for prayer and service, instead of meditating worldly things, scriptural thoughts will be pictured in the mind. And thereby the recollection of that which it saw and heard before, will be forgotten and effaced in it. So thy mind will reach purity. This is what has been said : the mind is made chaste by recitation when it comes to prayer, and by recitation it is enlightened during prayer. This means : the soul will find strength to interchange outward distraction with the habits of prayer, viz. essential understanding shining in the mind on account of the wondrous recollections of that world. How often at those times has the power of contemplation [stimulated j by the scriptures, made silent and stupefied [the solitary] during prayer and left him standing without impulses ; the same power, that cuts off prayer by delight as I have said, giving rest to the heart and bringing to silence its impulses, the psychic and bodily members being in rest.

Those know what I say, who have experienced this in their soul, who have penetrated into its mysteries, who have not learnt it from others or snatched it from writings which so often are found to falsify truth. A full stomach shrinks from examining spiritual questions, as a harlot from speaking of chastity. A conscience full of disease abhors fat food; a mind full of the world, cannot approach the investigation of divine service. 54 Fire cannot burn fresh wood; the love of God cannot be kindled in a heart that loves comfort. A harlot cannot cling to the love of one man ; neither can the soul, that is tied to many things, cling to loving spiritual teachings.

As he who has never seen the sun with his eyes is not able, on the basis of hearing about it, to imagine its light in his mind, or to receive some image in his soul, or to perceive the beauty of its rays, so he who in his soul does not have perception for the taste of spiritual service and whose behaviour has never brought him experience of its mysteries so that he is able to conceive in his mind an image resembling" the truth, is unable to find real conviction in his soul nor to attain the essence of the matter through human teachings and training in writings l ). If thou possessest anything above thy daily sustenance, go and give it the poor and then offer unto God prayer with frankness. This means: speak with God as a son with his father. There is nothing which brings the heart so near unto God as mercy-); and nothing which gives peace to the mind as voluntary poverty. Many will scorn thee as an ignorant because of thy liberality and for thy giving thyself without stint for the sake of the fear of God ; they will not call thee wise or steady of mind, because of thy asceticism.

If any one is riding on a horse and stretches out his hand, 55 do not withdraw from him thy hand in which is that which his need truly requires. For at that time he is needy as one of the indigent. And what thou givest, give it with a bountiful eye, and make thy face glad towards him. And give him above what he asks, that which he docs not seek. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thy shalt find remnneration after many days. Do not make any distinction between the rich and the poor nor know who is worthy and who is not worthy. Deem all men worthy of bounty on thy part. Especially because thou spurrest them unto truth thereby. The soul can easily be drawn by corporeal things to the thought of the fear of God. Also our Lord shared his table with publicans and harlots without making any distinction between those who were worthy and those who were not, seeking to spur them on thereby unto the fear of God and to bring them, through communion in bodily things, unto spiritual communion. Therefore deem all people worthy of bounty and honour, be they Jews or miscreants or murderers.

Especially if they be thy brothers and comrades who have erred from the truth on account of ignorance. When thou doest well, do not wish a remuneration in this world; for both thou wilt be recompensed by God. If possible, do not even wish a remuneration in the world-to-come ; but be excellent only by the love of God. The degree of love is more intimate than that of service unto God; nay, it is more 56 intimate in its mystery, with an intimacy that surpasses that of service as the soul's the body's. If thou hast set for thyself the aim of renunciation, and by the grace of God thou hast been freed from care, and exalted above the world by thy renunciation, take care lest, on account of thy love of the poor, thou desire to fall back into the care of possessions and things, even with the aim of giving alms, falling thereby into trouble, taking from one to give unto another; for thou wouldst expose thy honour to contempt by thy propensity to accost others in thy search for these and cognate things and thou wouldst fall back from the height of thy liberated mind unto care for earthly things. Thy rank is higher than that of almsgivers.

I pray thee, do not make thyself an object of laughter. The latter is the class of adolescents being educated ; the former is the way of perfection. If thou possessest, spend at once. If not, be not desirous to possess. Purify thy life from luxuriousness and superfluous things; this will necessarily bring thee towards asceticism. Necessity bears many things which our will, as long as possible, would not submit to bear. Those who have overcome outward struggle have also annihilated inward fear and no compulsion can force them to go its way by confounding them with strife before and behind. Outward struggle I name that which a man excites by the senses against himself foolishly ; viz. : worldly dealings, hearing 57 and seeing, speech and stomach, gradually and continually associating himself with the practice of life, so that the soul is blinded and becomes unable, because of external troubles that meet it, to discern its self in the hidden strife that arises ; then i) I'o take and give is an expression denoting worldly dealings. for the sake of quiet, lie subdues that which comes from within. But if a man closes the gates of the town, there will be a strife face to face ; and he will not fear from the ambushes outside the town.

Blessed is the man who knows these things and endures them in silence without even then imposing upon himself much work, but interchanging the whole of his bodily service with the labour of prayer, if he is able to do so, who, proceeding from service to service, does not join anything to the worship of God consisting in prayer and recitation, but believes that, when serving God and meditating upon Him night and day, He will not leave him in need of the necessary things he needs, because he does not work for himself. If anyone is not able to bear solitude without service, he must necessarily have recourse to it. But he shall take it as a helpful means only, without eagerness, and as a secondary thing, not as a principal commandment. This applies to the weak. Manual work is called by Fuagrius an impediment to the recollection of God. The Fathers have prescribed service to the indigent and despondent, not to those who are zealous to perform their legal obligations. When God opens thy mind from within and thou givest thy58 self to frequent kneelings, let no care of anything take hold of thee, though the demons secretly persuade thee to do so ; then see and wonder at what is born in thee from these things.

Do not compare any of the ethical practices *) with a man's throwing himself day and night on his face before the cross, his hands turned backwards. If thou desirest that thy fervour may never abate, and that thy tears may never fail, then practice this. Blessed art thou, o man, if thou thinkest of what I have told thee, without seeking any other thing night and clay. Then thy light will be spread out like dawn and thy righteousness will shortly appear. Then thou wilt be like an exulting paradise and like a fountain never destitute of water. Behold, how many signs of grace happen to a man from Providence.

Sometimes a man will be on his knees at the time of prayer, his hands spread out or stretched towards heaven, his face looking to the cross, and, so to speak his whole emotion and mind stretched out towards God in supplication ; i) r^HaM Cf. l's. 37, f'- and while absorbed in these beseechings and pains at this time, of a sudden a fountain of delight will spring from his heart, his limbs will relax, his eyes be darkened, his face bow down and his deliberations be confuse, so that even his knees arc no longer able to lean on the earth, from the exulting joy of the sign of grace that spreads through his whole body. Distinguish, o man, what thou art reading, can these things be known from ink r Or can the taste of honey be spread over the palate of the reader, from written documents ? 59 If thou doest not seek, thou wilt not find. And if thou doest not wake and knock fervently at the gate, without a break, thou wilt not be answered.

Who could hear these things and be desirous of outward righteousness , unless he who is not able to bear the bonds of the cell : But if there be anyone who is not able to do these things, since it is a gift of God that a man remain within the door, he should not however desist from this other part '), lest he be bereft of the two parts of life. For until the outward man becomes dead to the ways of the world, not only to sin, but also to the whole bodily service, and the inward man to the seducing recollections of evil things, until the natural impulse is brought low and the body has almost died through labours, so that the sweetness of sin has no more mastery over the heart, the spirit of God does not spread its sweetness and man's limbs are not unveiled to life and divine impulses do not show themselves in the soul.

And as long as a man's heart is not freed from earthly care, except those necessary things which nature imposes upon him at the time of his necessity — ■ and which he leaves also to God to arrange — spiritual drunkenness cannot rise in him and that madness, for which the Apostle was disdained, he will not perceive; for the multitude of books had made him mad. But I do not say this in despair ; namely that unless a man reach the depth of perfection, the grace of God will not be given him and consolation will not come to him. Verily, when a man rejects evil things and becomes wholly 60 alienated to them, and clings to "food things, in a short time he will be aware of profit. And if he shows only a little zeal he will find the consolation of the forgiveness of sins in himself, and he will be dignified with grace and receive many good thing's.

But he is little when compared with him who has become wholly alienated to the world and has found in himself as it were the blessings of the world to come and has reached that for the sake of which Christ reached us. To whom and to his Father and to the Holy Ghost be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen. Here ends the fourth discourse.

God has made great the honour of man, by the twofold teachings he has given him. And from every side He has opened for him a door through which he has access unto knowledge. Ask from nature a true witness concerning thyself, then thou wilt not err. If thou goest yet astray, let thyself be taught by that second witness who will bring thee back to the way from which thou hast erred. A distracted heart cannot help but erring. And wisdom will not open its gate before it. He who is able to understand through essential knowledge to what a degree of equality all men will come in the end, wall not seek another teacher concerning the contemptability of the world. 6 1 The first book given by God to the rational beings, is the nature of the created things. Written teachings have been added only after aberration. He who does not willingly remain far from things causing sin will be drawn towards them involuntarily. Things causing sin are wine and women, riches and bodily health.

They are not to be called sin in themselves, but on account of man's weakness and their unlawful use, nature is easily drawn by them — ■ more easily than by any other thing — • towards different sins and therefore there is need of peculiar caution in regard of them. If thou rememberst continually and recognisest truly that thou art weak, thou wilt never overstep the borders prescribed by watchfulness. Despised above all things among men is poverty. But much more despised by God is haughtiness of heart and a disdainful spirit. Among men riches are honoured; by God a humble soul. When thou intendest to begin with one of the virtues, first prepare thyself, lest, by the evil things which it causes, thou shouldst fall into doubt concerningthe truth. 62 If the Evil one sees some one beginning with one of the virtues in the fervour of faith, he attacks him by vehement and terrible temptations, with the intention that he be frightened by them, so that the love of his mind may abate and his fervour not rise again to bring him near to the works of God. And thus, because of fear of temptations accompanying good works [he hopes that] nobody will practise them anymore.

Thou, however, prepare thyself to meet the evil things accompanying virtues, bravely and strongly ; and then begin. If thou doest not expect evil things, do not begin with excellence. The man who is in doubt concerning the Lord, is persecuted by his own shadow; at the time of satiety he wall be hungry and at the time of peace his ruin will be heavy. But whoever confides in God, his heart will be strong and his honour will be manifest before the crowds and his glory before his enemies. The commandments of God are better than the treasures of the whole earth. He who acquires His laws in his heart, will find the Lord in them. He who meditates upon God in the night, will acquire Him as a housemate. He who is pliable to His will, will find the angels of heaven his teachers. He who trembles before sins will pass without stumbling even through a dangerous place and at the time of darknest he will find a light within himself. If any one tremble before sins, his footsteps will be guarded by the Lord and mercy will precede his failures.

He whose faults are small in his own eyes will fall into those which are worse than the former ones and it will be necessary that he pay for them sevenfold. Sow alms in humility and thou wilt reap mercy in the court of justice. 5 Whereby thou hast lost goods, thereby thou shalt acquire them again. If thou hast to pay a penny to God in some way or other, He will not accept a pearl from thee in its place. For in this case that thing is necessary. If thou hast lost chastity, let not fornication take its place. If thou givest alms as a reparation, He will not accept them from thee; He postulates saintliness for saintliness. And if thou wrongest not the poor, let not unjust possession take the place of that. While thou art refraining from bread, let not injustice usurp its place so that thou must struggle with some other thing. 44 SIX trkatisks on riii'; uehayiour ok i-;xci-:r.i ,i;N( i-: Oppression is eradicated by compassion and renunciation. If thou leavest the plant in its place, thou wilt have to struggle with some other thing, according to the word of the great teacher Mar Afrem. Take care not to light against heat during summer in clothes destined for winter.

Thus each will reap, with the contrary of that with which he sows injustice. And every illness he will combat with its peculiar antidotum. Now thou art deadly wounded by envy; while thou strugglest against sleep. When sin is still green, eradicate it, lest it cover the whole ground. He who neglects an evil thing while it is small, will find it at last a hard master and he will go in bonds before it. He who treats it severely in the beginning, will easily rule it. He who bears injustice with gladness while victory is in his hand, he has received from God the consolation of his faith clearly mani64 fested. And he who bears oppression in humility, has reached perfection. The angels will admire him. There is no profitable action more difficult and more meritorious. Do not believe thyself strong before thou hast been led into temptations and thou hast found thyself steadfast in them. In all things thou hast to try thyself in this way. Acquire glory on account of the faith of thy heart, then thou wilt tread upon the neck of thy enemies, and thou wilt find thy mind humble.

Do not confide in thy strength lest thou be left to the weakness of thy nature and thou learnest thy weakness in thy fall ; nor in thy knowledge , lest thou be surrounded in thought with hidden ambushes and becomest confused. Acquire a humble tongue; then disdain will never hurt thee ; and pleasant lips ; then thou wilt be found a friend of every one. Do not boast of any thing with thy tongue, because among creatures there is nothing exempt from change ; and thy shame will be double when thou art found the contrary jof what thou didst boast of]. Kverything of which thou boastest before men, will surely be altered by God, so that thou mayest have a cause for humility so that thou judge God's knowledge to be all, and believe not that there is anything true in creatures. Ancl when thou thinkest thus, thy eyes will at all times be fixed upon Him. [Divine] care surrounds all men at all times; but it is not seen, save only by those who have purified themselves from sins and think of God perpetually.

To these then it is revealed 65 clearly ; for when they have been led into great temptations for the sake of truth, then they receive a faculty of perception clearly as if with the eyes of the flesh. [They receive it] when they want it,' in a sensible way, in accordance with the kind and the cause of the temptation, in order to strengthen their courage. As m the case of Jacob and Joshua the son of Nun, Hananya and his companions, Petrus and others, to whom the figure of a man appeared in order to encourage them and to console their faith. It thou sayest that these things were acts of Providence of a universal nature, let then the holy martyrs console thee, who sometimes together, sometimes one by one in separate places have suffered for God. Not only a hidden force was with them, by which the members of their bodies were fortified against being hanged in irons and against torments of all kinds, things beyond natural power — but sometimes also holy angels were seen by them manifestly, in order that every man should know that God's care is with those who suffer for His sake for any reason, so that they themselves might receive encouragement and their torturers be ashamed.

For as the former were made conspicuous by such visions, to the same degree the latter were tormented by their endurance. And what shall we say about many of the solitaries and strangers and true monks, who have made waste land habitable and an encamping ground of the angels, who visited them on account of their worthy behaviour? As true comrades [serving) one Lord the heavenly hosts mingled [with them] in their 66 dwelling place , solitaries who during their whole life loved solitude, who made holes and rocks their dwelling places, who gladly suffered cold and heat for the love of God. And because they left the earth and loved heaven like the angels, the angels have not concealed themselves from their sight. But sometimes they taught them concerning behaviour. And again they answered the questions they asked them concerning other things. And sometimes the angels showed them the way when they wandered through the desert; sometimes they delivered them from temptations; sometimes they saved them from some net of danger which suddenly, without their foreseeing it, threatened them, some serpent for instance, or falling from a rock, or a stone that suddenly fell down with violence from a height.

Sometimes, also under the attacks of the open battles of Satan, the angels showed themselves to them manifestly, and clearly announced that they were sent in order to help them and encouraged them by their words. Sometimes also they cured their pain and healed some injuries which had befallen them in some way or other, by the touch of their hands. Sometimes again they imparted to their bodies, which had been weakened by abstention from all food, by their words or by the sudden 6 7 touch of their hands, a force foreign to nature, adducing in some secret way a force unto the lowered nature. Sometimes they brought them food, warm bread and olives, and to some of them various fruits. Others they informed concerning the time of their death. And how long must be the enumeration of things concerning the love of the holy angels towards our race and concerning the care they showed unto the righteous, as great brothers who fostered and guarded their little ones. All this serves to make clear for every one how near God is to His friends and how much care He bestows on those who entrust their life to His hands and follow Him with a serene heart.

If it is certain to thee and thou believest that God cares for thee, thou needest not be anxious for thy body nor have care concerning the guiding of thyself by means. But if thou cloubtest this and desirest to care for thyself, without God, thou art more wretched than any man, and what does life mean to thee? Throw thy care on God, that thou be strengthened against all fear. He who once has entrusted his life to God, will dwell in mental peace. Without renunciating possessions, the soul cannot be liberated from confusion of thought. And without quiescence of the senses, peace of mind cannot be perceived. And without 68 entering into temptations, spiritual wisdom cannot be acquired. And without constant reciting, subtlety of thought cannot be learned. And without the deliberations being set at peace the mind cannot be moved by hidden mysteries. And without the confidence of faith one cannot venture to throw his soul amidst sorrowful and hard circumstances. Without the practical experience of God's care the heart is not able to confide in God. And when the soul doe^ not taste sufferings for the sake of Christ, it is not united with Him in knowledge.